Adjustable wagon-body end gate



`March 23 1926. 1,577,992

H. E. wARMoTl-lr ADJUSTABLE WAGON BODY END GATE Filed August 21, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 49 .,4541 Je '49 4e 424 1f? ATTORNEY.

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March 23 1926. H. E. wARMoTH ADJUSTABLE wAGoN' Bom END GATE Filed August 21, 192:5

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A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,577,992 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E.-WARMOTH, OF STILESVILLE,v INDEANA, ASSIGNOB OFl ONE-THIRD TO JOHN B. JUSTICE, OF'STILESVILLE, INDANA, AND ONE-THIRD TO ROBERT T. HOLLO- WELL, or nANviLLE, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE VAGON-BODY END GATE.

Application filed Augustin, 19273. Serial No. 658,628.

T0 all inkom t may concern: f

Be it known that I, HENRY E. l/VARMoTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at titilesville, in the county of Hendricks and State of indiana, have invented a new and useful Adjustable TWagon-Body End Gate, of which the following is a specification, reference being` had tothe accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of refer'- ence marked thereon.

This invention relates to an end gate for vehicle bodies that is adapted to be adjustable vso as to be useful not only to retain a load in a vehicle body but to be of advantage when loading` and unloading, the invention having reference more particularly to an end gate of the above-mentioned character that is designed to be readily applied to wagon bodies which may have been previously quipped with the ordinary end or tail board.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable wagon or motor truck body end gate which shall be so constructed as to be effective in retaining bulk grain or other substances, and which shall be adapted to be used either as a shoveling board when loading into the rear end of the wagon or truck body, or used as a dumping end gate.

Another object is to provide an improved end gate for wagon or motor truck bodies which shall not be costly but which shall be adapted to be readily applied to an old wagon body without the use of special tools or fastenings and without alteration of the wagon body, which may be readily removed from t-lie wagonbody when desired, andv which shall be durable and economical in use.

A further object is to provide an improved wagon body end gate which shall be pro# vided with reliable inea-ns for securing it in place and for supporting` it in different adjusted positions, all to be metallic and not liable to rapid deterioration.

`With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in an improved end gate structure for vehicles provided with novel means for hingedly supporting the upper. portion of the gate and novel means for liingedlysupporting the lower portion of the gate, and also improved means for securing the gate in position to retain a load; and, the invenfragmentary longitudinal vertical section ofl a common wagon body in which the iinproved gate is mounted, aside elevation of the gate and its mountings being shown; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the improved gate and end view of a wagon body to which the gate is connected; F ig. 3 is a sectional elevation approximately on the line III-HI on an enlargedscale in F ig. 2; Fig. t is a horizontal section approximately on the line lll-TV in F 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation reproducing a'portion of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale but with a number of the elements in different positions; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan showing' the various parts seen in the preceding` ligure; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical central section of the end gate and the wagon body longitudinally of the latter, showing the gate swung out on its upper hinge for dumping a loa@ Fig. 8 is a vertical central section of the end gate and a portion of the wagon body longitudinally of the latter, the gate being swung out on its lower hinge; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged section showing details appearing aswhen the gate is being swung downwards on its lower hinge; Fig. l0 is a fragmentary vertical section showing cetails on an enlarged scale that are not clearly visible in other views; Fig. ll is a top plan of theend gate and the rearward portion of the. wagon body, partially broken away, the gate being lowered as when a sliovelin'g board is needed eitlierrfo'r loading or unloading; and, Fig, l2 is a fragmentary perspective view of several connected parts onv an enlarged scale for clearness of illustration.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

As an illustration of the type of the wagon 'body to which the invention Amay be advantageously applied, the rearward portion of a common one is shown which comprises a. bottom l and sides 2 and 3, the inner side of one body side having two upright cleats and 5, the opposite body side having similar cleats 6 and 7 to retain a common end board which in the illustrations is omitted to accommodate the new end gate.

The new end gate includes a post or stand ard arranged between the cleats 4 and 5 and another post or standard arranged between the cleats 6 and 7. Each post is metallic and preferably composed of sheet metal bent to the required shapes. Preferably a door sill plate 3 is secured upon the bottom 1 adjacent to the rear end thereof and so as to extend und-er the posts. One of the posts comprises an upright bas-e plate 9 which is arrangedagainst the inside of the body side 2, a forward plate 19 at right angles to the base plate and a cheek plate 11 extending opposite to the base plate, and also a guide or face plate 12 supported by the cheek plate at a short distance therefrom. rlhe opposite post comprises a base plate 13, a forward plate 14, a cheek plate 15 and a face plate or gui-de 16, the base plate being arranged against the body side 3. The forward plates 10 and 14 are arranged on one and the same plane against the rear sides of the cleats 5 and 7 respectively. @ne face plate or guide is secured to the cheel; plate 11 preferably by means of stud rivets 1? and 13 adjacent to the ends thereof, the opposite face plate being likewise secured to the adjacent cheel plate by means of stud rivets 17 and 18', each rivet having a relatively large body portion or spacing washer 19 or 19 thereon between the cheek plate and the face plate. A pair of bolts 2O and 21 are arranged in suitable holes in the wagon body sides respectively which may have been previously bored to receive a tie rod not needed with the improved gate, the bolts extending through the rearward cleats; and other bolts 22 and 23 are similarly connected to the lower portions of the body sides. Two clamp plates 24 and 25 are secured to the faces of the rearward cleats respectively by means of the upper bolts, and similar plates 24 and 25 are similarly secured by the lower bolts. The clamp plates extend forward to the forward plates 10 and 14 of the posts and have flanges 26 and 27 extending to the base plates of the posts respectively to firmly clamp the posts in place. A hoolr-lilze journal bearing 28 is secured to the upper portion of the front plate 1() of one post, and a similar bearing 23 is likewise secured to the front plate of the opposite post, the bearings being on the rearward sides of the front plates, and said front plates have also ears 29 and 29 secured to the rearward sides thereof below the journaleb-earings respectively. The

lower portions of the posts have journalbearing members 30 and 30 secured thereto and extending rearwardly, their upper portions having slots 31 and 31 respectively to receive journals.

An improved end gate 32 composed of metal is provided and arranged to stand upright behind the face or guide plates 12 and 16, and it has side members 33 and 34 that extend behind the face or guide plates so as to be between them and the adjacent cheek plates of the posts. The lower portion of the gate has a hinge bar 35 fixed thereto which has journals 35 and 37 on its opposite ends that extend into the bearing slots 31 and 31 respectively, the gate preferably having also a reinforcing bar 33 fixed thereto above the hinge bar, or obviously it may be composed of a part of the hinge bar. The lower edges of the side members of the gate have notches 39 and 39 therein respectively to receive the rivets 18 and 13 respectively when the gate is in closed position and relieve the strain of the load on the journals and their bearings. The lower ends of the side members have also stop projections 40 and 40 thereon respectively to engage the rivets and limit the outward movement of the gate when swung out on its upper hinge. The outer side of the upper portion of the gatev has shaft bearings 41 and 41 and similar bearings 42 and 42 that support shaft. sections 43 and 43 to which a lever 44 is fixed, the sections constituting practically a single shaft which is provided with crank pins and 46 carried by arms 47 and 48 on the shaft sections respectively, the cranlr pins being arranged to be moved into connection with the bearings 28 and 28" respectively whereby to lift the gate vertically by means of the lever 44. At the top of the gate a reinforcing bar 49 is secured to the outer side thereof, the ends of the bar being turned over at right angles thereto to constitute lingers 5() and 51 adapte-d to engage the inner sides of the cheek plates 11 and 15 respectively and prevent the spreading apart of the sides of the wagon body. Two rods 52 and 53 are provide-d which have eyes 54 and 54 respectively that are connected with the ears 29 and 29 respective-ly. The rods have also hooks 55 and 55 respectively. The lower portion of the gate has clasps 56 and 56 secured thereto behind which the rods are moved when crossed against the gate. At a short distance below the plane of the ears 29 and 29 base plates 57 and 57 are secured to the outer side of th-e gate and they have loop-shaped arms 53 and 58 hereon that extend upwardly, and the arms have curved guides 59 and 59 thereon that extend inwardly each towards the other to permit the rods when released from the clasps to be swung behind the guides and iang vertically, so that if then the gate be lowered on its lower hinge, the hooks on the rods shall engage the arms.

In practical use, the gate is normally supported by its lower hinge and secured in*V place by means of the rods 52 and 53, the eyes 5% and 5st ot which directly engage the adjacent portions of the gate and lock it against outward movement. In order to lower the gate, the rods are released from the clasps on the gate and they are swung behind the guides 59 and 59 respectively, after which the gate maybe swung on its lower hinge and lowered until the hooks on the roes engage the arms 58 and 58 respectively. Practicing reverse operations, the gate-,may be readily returned to normal position and locked in place. Then it is desired to dump the load, the lever el is drawn away from the gate to swing the crank pins and 46 into connection with the bearings 2S and 28, further movement of the lever upwardly causing the crank arms to swing the gate upward until the journals 36 and 3'( are released from their bearings, after which the gate may swing out until stopped by the stop devices, the locking rods hanging idly.

Having described the invention, what I claim isl. A vehicle body end gate comprising two upright posts having each an open-top journal-bearing on the upper portion thereof and an ear below the journal-bearing, the lower portion ot each post having a bearing member secured thereto, each bearing member having a slot in the top thereof, an end gate having a hinge bar secured to the lower portion thereof, said bar having journals to be removably supported in said slots respectively, the gate having also side members to operate in connection with the posts, a bar secured to the upper portion or the gate and having relatively angular fingers thereon to engage the posts, a shaft rotatively supported on the upper portion of the gate and having two crank arms and also a lever iixedthereto, the crank arms having crank pins to be connected with said journalbearings respectively, two curved arms secured to the upper portion of the gate and having each a curved guide thereon, two clasps secured to the lower portion of the gate, and two rods having eyes connected to said ears respectively and adapted to be con-- nected to said clasps respectively and having hooks to be connected to said curved arms respectively, therods being adapted to be guided by said curved guides.

2. In an adjustable vehicle body end gate, the combination of two upright posts having each an open-top journal-bearing on the upper portion thereof and a bearing member secured to the lower portion of the post, each bearing member having a slot inthe top thereof, an end gate having a hinge bar secured to the lower portion thereof, said bar having journals to be removably supported in said slots respectively, the gate having also side members to co-operate in connection with the posts, a bar secured to the upper portion of the gate and having relativo ly angular lingers thereon to engage the posts, and a sha'ftrotatively supported on the upper portion of the gate and having` two crank arms and also a lever fixed thereto, the crank arms having crank pins to be connected with said journal-bearings respectively.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature on the 23rd day of July 1923.

HENRY E. IVARMOTH. 

